Experience Summary
I have worked with children in a variety of settings and ages over the past 25 years: church camp counselor, gymnastics coach, dance instructor, theater, forensics judge, tutor, and classroom teacher. These experiences have both shaped my style of teaching and equipped me with a broad range of skills needed to connect with, instruct, and inspire children. I’ve worked for an elementary MPS school, an elementary Charter School, a suburban Middle School, and a Catholic school system. When two of the last schools I worked for closed because of financial difficulties, I went back to school to get my Masters Degree in Reading Curriculum and Instruction. Since then, I have not been able to find a teaching job. I am a passionate, experienced, and committed instructor that wants to reconnect with the educational world.
Teaching Style
As a teacher of diversified classrooms for 15 years, I am well versed in using the methodologies of cooperative learning, direct instruction, thematic teaching, individual accommodation, and differentiated instruction. I foster learning strengths in both group and individual work connected to real world connections, self confidence, social interaction, study skills, character building and problem solving skills. As a personal tutor for more than 10 years, I incorporate these methods with prompts and information about the child from the parents, to best accommodate both academic and personal concerns.
My Hobbies
Coaching gymnastics, Teaching various types of dance, Choreographing school musicals, Skiing (mostly cross country these days), Going to the theater, Church choir, Hiking in any weather and Reading books the old fashioned way (with an actual book-in-hand)
Other Comments
My classroom/teaching atmosphere is full of positive and creative energy that promote unity, individuality, intrinsic motivation, critical thinking and awareness of real world connections.
| Ballet |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Was a serious ballet dancer/gymnast for my entire youth. Dance major at U.W.M. from the ages of 19-23. |
| Basic Learning Skills |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Teaching primarily elementary school, I am quite proficient at teaching all basic learning skills and use various methodolgies in differentiated instruction. |
| Composition |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Well rounded in teaching composition in all elementary grades. Was a Forensics coach and judge for MPS. |
| Creative Writing |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| One of my favorite genres of writing, personally, and to teach. |
| Elementary |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| I have taught K3, 1st, 2nd grade reading, 4th grade preparation for testing, 5th and 6th grade in elementary settings. I taught 4 and 5 year olds at a day care center. |
| Elementary Grammar |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| I am quite good at teaching grammar to all ages in a way that makes it fun for the little ones, and that older students will utilize in composition. |
| Elementary Math |
 This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| I enjoy teaching math, and have various methods to teaching the same concept. As a result, my elementary students throughout the years were quite successful in this area. |
| Elementary Phonics |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| During my masters program in Reading and Curriculum Instruction, I spent many hours learning and perfecting the art of elementary phonics. |
| Elementary Reading |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| In teaching elementary reading to at-level, below level, or ESL children, I begin with EACH individual student and format my instruction in a differentiated style within the classroom. |
| Elementary Science |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Use life experiences, field trips, hands-on projects, and critical thinking in my Science classes. |
| Elementary Social Studies |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Fun subject to teach to the youngsters. Great to see them open their eyes to a much broader world, as they mature and begin to expand their views, and form opinions. |
| Elementary Study Skills |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Have tutored many a child, not so much because they were behind in any particular subject, but because they didn't know how to study. I have a ton of study skills that they will use through high school and beyond. |
| Elementary Vocabulary |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Vocabulary was an absolute core foundation in ALL of my classrooms, starting from K3, all the way up to my 8th grade English class. |
| English |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Graduated with an English minor from U.W.Milwaukee. |
| Geography |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Tutored for 5th and 6th grade students. Taught 1st and 5th grade. Have many fun ways to learn Geography, and make it stick. |
| Grammar |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Very successful at teaching students to recognize, write, and speak correct grammar. |
| Language Arts |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Was on the board of the Language Arts Department at an MPS Elementary School for 5 years |
| Life Science |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| I have taught Life Science for 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th grades. I do many hands-on projects that get the kids involved. |
| Math |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Have taught 1st through 6th grade math, and enjoyed them all. I use manipulatives and real-world scenarios as often as possible. |
| Poetry |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| My favorite end-of-the-year project. Students creatively put together bound booklets with different types of poetry they learned. I make poetry a lot of fun! |
| Pre-Algebra |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Have tutored 6th grade Pre-Algebra |
| Reading |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Received a Masters in Reading and Curriculum in 2011. |
| Reading Comprehension |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Many resources for reading comprehension evaluation. Extensive resources for helping ALL DIFFERENT types of learners, with different reading problems from grades 1-12. |
| Social Studies |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| I have taught Social Studies in 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades. Especially loved the older grades, as we could really delve into the topic at hand. Brainstorming, discussion, and projects were a huge part of my class. |
| Spelling |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| Students have fun learning with my variety of phonetics and spelling "games" and techniques. |
| Tap Dancing |
Proficiency: Experienced
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| My mother was my tap teacher when I was very young. I continued it all through my youth. Taught at MPS Recreation and a Mother-Daughter class at Alverno College. |
| Writing |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| I have personally always loved writing, and I extend that enthusiasm to my students. I begin with topics they enjoy which makes it easier to incorporate learning the structure of composing. |